


Every Little Thing (gonna be alright)

by asexualjuliet



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Episode: s02e09 The Gate, Gen, I’m soft for the Byers Family, Let Will Byers be happy PLEASE, poor baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:54:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21426298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexualjuliet/pseuds/asexualjuliet
Summary: It’s too hot in the cabin, but that’s the least of everyone’s worries.There’s a little boy and a demon in the cabin, too, both inhabiting the same body, tied to a bed and screaming, so loud that it feels like the walls are about to come down around them.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	Every Little Thing (gonna be alright)

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve been meaning to write something about this scene for a while. I hope this suffices.
> 
> Title from Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

It’s too hot in the cabin, but that’s the least of everyone’s worries. 

There’s a little boy and a demon in the house, too, both inhabiting the same body, tied to a bed and  _ screaming,  _ so loud that it feels like the walls are about to come down around them.

An older boy covers his ears in the corner of the room. The girl beside him clutches his hand. A mother stands by her son and listens to him scream. 

_ It hurts! It hurts! Let me go! _

And any other time, those words would have stopped her dead in her tracks. 

_ It hurts! _

Not today. 

She turns up the heat on the radiators, sweaty fingers slipping off the dials. 

_ Mom— _ the older boy says weakly, tears in his eyes. The girl grips his hand tighter. 

Screams fill the room, even louder this time, and the older boy buries his face in the girl’s shoulder. 

It’s far too hot to be so close to anyone. The girl feels like she’s about to melt. 

Still, she holds him tight. 

_ Let me go!  _ screams the little boy. 

Or is it the monster?

_ Let me go!  _ he screams, and his brother whispers  _ it’s not working. _

_ It’s not working,  _ he says, but his mother says nothing. 

_ Mom, are you listening to me? _

_ Just wait!  _ She screams. 

_ How much longer?  _ Her son yells, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

And his mother feels something stab at her heart. 

Because her boys are both in pain, and it’s  _ her fault,  _ and she’s sorry, so so sorry, but she  _ has to.  _

_ Jonathan—  _ she tries, to no avail. 

_ Look at him!  _ he screams, and the girl in the corner is silent, but she’s crying, too. 

_ Jonathan, wait!  _ cries his mother, over her younger son’s wails and screams. 

_ You’re killing him!  _ he screams, and lunges for the radiator. 

_ Just wait! Leave it, Jonathan! _

And then the girl in the corner is the only one left to watch the little boy scream. 

_ You’re killing him! _

_ Jonathan, please— _

_ Wait!  _ The girl yells, stepping out of her corner.  _ Jonathan, Jonathan, wait! _

There are black veins running up the little boy’s neck, and his family goes silent. He screams, he  _ screams,  _ and it’s terrible, and—

His arm comes loose from the blood-flecked rope tying him to the bed, and he seizes his mother’s neck. 

(Not  _ him.  _ The monster did it, he’ll later remind himself. Not him).

His brother screams. His mother would too, but she can’t  _ breathe.  _

And the girl in the corner springs into action. 

She grabs a red hot poker from the fire. 

_ I’m sorry,  _ she whispers, too soft to hear, and she jabs it into the boy’s stomach. 

And he  _ screams.  _

The terrible sound fills the cabin, and the monster is released. 

The door falls off its hinges and the  _ thing _ from the otherworld whooshes outside. 

The outside world floods the cabin, and cold has never felt so sweet. 

The radiators shudder to a halt. 

The mother catches her breath. 

But her boy lies still. 

_ Will, baby. Will. Will. Please, Will. Will. _

_ Come on, buddy. _

_ Please. Can you hear me?  _

_ Come on. Come on. _

_ Please. Will. _

And almost all hope is gone when he  _ opens his eyes.  _

_ Mom? _

His mother gasps. His brother cries. 

_ Oh, honey. Oh, God.  _

She wraps him in a hug. The brother holds them tight. 

And it’s much too hot for so many people to be so close, and they’re all sticky with sweat and tears, and today has been the hardest day in a while. 

But it’s okay now. 

It’s okay. 

—

They drive back in the car, sweaty and sticky and exhausted. 

The girl drives, allows the little family some time together in the back. 

The little boy has drifted off to sleep. His head is in his mother’s lap. The bags under his eyes are practically purple. 

His mother brushes his bangs out of his eyes. His hair has grown out lately, she notices. They should get it cut. 

His brother holds his hand like a lifeline. 

_ I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,  _ he whispers, choking on unshed tears.  _ I’m never going to let them hurt you again. Ever again.  _

_ Honey,  _ his mother says softly, and as simple as that, tears begin to fall down his face. 

_ Honey, come here,  _ she says, holding out her arms. 

Her son leans into her touch, his tears staining her shoulder. 

She holds him tight and doesn’t let go. 

—

The little boy’s got a hell of a fever. His face hasn’t stopped burning in the hour since they left the cabin, and he looks like he’s been to hell and back, but he’s  _ alive.  _ He’s  _ alive,  _ and that’s what matters. 

His friends are all hugs and smiles, all  _ Byers, holy crap, you did it! Goddamn, Byers, we missed you! Will! I’m so glad you’re okay.  _

But it’s been a long day, and more than anything, he wants to sleep, so his mother pulls him away from his friends and their babysitter, his brother and his maybe-girlfriend. 

She pulls them to her bed and climbs in, holding her boy tight. 

He’s out like a light before she can say  _ I love you.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> All mistakes are my own, please let me know if you see any!
> 
> Kudos/Comments are greatly appreciated!


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